Ketchup chips are a regional variety of potato chip that were created in the 1970s. Their creation is typically attributed to Hostess Potato Chips but they may have been invented during the same timeframe in the United States. Ketchup chips are strongly associated with Canadian identity due to their widespread availability in the country. They have limited production in the United States and the United Kingdom. The snack is recognized in popular culture.
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The invention of ketchup chips is typically attributed to Hostess Potato Chips, [1] which began experimenting with producing new potato chip varieties in the early 1970s. Ketchup chips were the only one that proved profitable as other flavours like orange and grape were discontinued. [2] Herr's Snacks, an American company, sold ketchup chips by the 1980s. [3] These chips may have been sold even earlier; if so, they would have been invented at the same time as Hostess. Herr's sold their chips in the United States, while Hostess only sold theirs in Canada. [4] The flavour is popular in Canada, where it is considered Canadiana, though to a lesser degree than poutine or maple syrup. Millions of bags are produced each year by Frito-Lay, the parent company of Hostess. [5] They are also sold by smaller companies like Covered Bridge. [3] Ketchup chips are available in almost every Canadian grocery store [6] and are strongly associated with Canadian identity. [7] They are especially popular in the province of Manitoba. [8]
The chip variety has been described as a "sweeter barbecue". [9] According to a writer for The Takeout , ketchup chips do not truly taste like ketchup but instead comprise flavours reminiscent of it, like cooked tomatoes and sugar. [10] A writer for Thrillist described them as tasting "like a bottle of ketchup was blown apart" and that this flavour was "dusted upon the chip in equal parts". [6] The Daily Meal described ketchup chips as being "inspired" by ketchup rather than flavoured like it, comparing the product with Cool Ranch Doritos. [11] One American journalist described them as tasting like if tomatoes "had been sprinkled with vinegar". [12] Another journalist described ketchup chips as a combination between tomatoes and beet soup. [13] Ketchup chips are not marketed with healthier variants, as diminished salt content and natural flavouring changes the taste of them significantly and therefore limits product innovation. [8]
While Americans pair french fries with ketchup, [11] flavours popular in Canada such as ketchup chips are more vinegar-based in comparison to the United States. American chip varieties tend to be creamier. These flavour preferences are likely influenced by differing immigration trends and Canada's connection to the United Kingdom. [14] For example, Canadians are more likely to pair white vinegar with fries, a combination that is commonplace in Britain but unusual in the United States. [15]
There is limited production of ketchup chips in the United States in contrast to their much wider availability in Canada. [5] Online retailers will sell ketchup chips to Americans for a significant markup. [16] A 1984 newspaper article described ketchup chips as a failed business venture, with the exception of its popularity in Chicago. [17] Old Dutch used to sell ketchup chips in both Canada and the United States but discontinued production in the American market after it failed to be profitable. [18] Frito-Lay also does not sell its ketchup chips in the United States. [5] Ketchup chips are instead produced by smaller companies like Herr's Snacks. [5] The company initially used its own ketchup flavouring before switching to a Heinz partnership in the 1980s. [3]
Walkers, a British food manufacturer, launched ketchup chips in 2001, partnering with Heinz to produce the product. [19] Sausage and ketchup chips were released as a limited edition flavour in 2024. [20]
Debates about whether ketchup chips are an appealing snack often take place on the Internet. [21] In 2019, eight American journalists tried ketchup chips and ranked 13 brands, the top three of which were Doritos, Great Value, and Old Dutch. [22] In April 2024, Chatelaine magazine ranked 11 ketchup chip brands in Canada. Their first two choices were Compliments flavours, while the third was Ruffles. [23]
During an interview covering the food preferences of actors Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield, the two disagreed with each other about ketchup chips. Pugh believed the flavour had a similar taste to prawn cocktail chips, while Garfield disagreed with the accuracy of that comparison and described ketchup chips as weird and "kind of a sin". [21]
In 2023, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation reported that two Americans travelled from Virginia to Niagara Falls, Ontario, to purchase forty bags of ketchup chips, [24] which went viral. [25] A Canadian grocery store then shipped them nine cases of potato chips. [24]
